Final answer:
Slavery in the Americas, or chattel slavery, was a system where enslaved individuals were considered property and lacked any legal rights. Unlike in Africa where permanent, inherited slavery was uncommon, in the Americas, slavery became race-based and hereditary, leading to a multigenerational institution.
Step-by-step explanation:
Slavery in the New World
Slavery in the Americas was distinct in its severity and systemic approach. It was characterized as chattel slavery, a system in which enslaved people were regarded as property, devoid of legal rights or personal status. This form of slavery ensured they could be traded, sold, or inherited much like inanimate objects. Not only were the enslaved unable to control their own bodies or labor, but this status also extended to their offspring, cementing a perpetual cycle of enslavement.
In contrast to systems of labor in Africa, where permanent, inherited slavery was not prevalent, and children of those enslaved might integrate into society, the Americas introduced a permanent and racial aspect to enslavement. The labor systems in America, heavily driven by the Columbian Exchange and the economic demands for agricultural output, perpetuated a sharp divide between freedom and slavery.
In the English colonies, the need for a sustained workforce led to a transition from the use of indentured servants to enslaved Africans, particularly in the South with its labor-intensive crops like tobacco and rice.